A digital micro-mirror device (DMD), sometimes referred to as a deformable micro-mirror device, is a micro-mechanical device manufactured using integrated circuit techniques. It may be used to form images, and has been used in both display and printing applications.
DMDs used for imaging applications such as display or printing, have an array of hundreds or thousands of tiny tilting mirrors. Light incident on the DMD is selectively reflected or not reflected from each mirror to an image plane. Each mirror is attached to one or more hinges mounted on support posts, and spaced by means of an air gap over underlying address circuitry. The address circuitry includes a memory cell associated with each mirror. Each memory cell stores a 1-bit data value, which determines the state of an applied electrostatic force applied to the mirror. This electrostatic force is what causes each mirror to selectively tilt.
For imaging applications, the DMD memory cells must be loaded with large volumes of data at fast data rates. For this purpose, DMD devices have special data loading circuitry, which permits an entire row of data to be received into a row of shift registers, and then passed down bit-lines of the mirror array, with the proper row being selected with a row decoder. As data input bandwidth demands increase, there is a corresponding need for faster and more efficient loading methods.